Bundle of Life
by Vahkhiin
Summary: Somewhere in between. CloudTifa
1. Her Seventh Heaven

_**A/N: **Note, a random mindless fluff.. Not much of a heart warming fluff, but more of the spur of the moment. It's short, but sweet. This just popped into my head out of the blue.. Just had to write it. Enjoy.  
_

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In his heart, the truth was always there. 

He loved _her _he always did.

But she deserved so much better than him. His best friend since childhood. He was not worth enough for her, but yet here he sat. Watching her. Like he always did.

Day and night he had went, abandoned on the streets by himself, making his way back home to her. To a warm house that was also home to a bar. Seventh heaven was its name. The place where children went when they were hungry and adults went to get a drink. It was _her _seventh Heaven. The last heaven of hers.

The first hadn't worked well and neither had the second, but the rest, they were there right with her.

_First _was when she was born, that was her heaven, but she grew up.

_Second _was when she met him, that was her heaven, but she had other friends.

_Third _was when she became friend with him, that was her heaven, but he never spoke much.

_Fourth _was when he promised her, that was her heaven, but he went.

_Fifth _was when they reunited, that was her heaven, but he felt nothing.

_Sixth _was when he held her in the chapel, that was her heaven, but he went again.

_Seventh _was this day, this was her heaven. There was more between them than the quieted friendship. There was love. There was happiness and life.

There was Tifa, and there was Cloud.

Somewhere between them, there was a bundle of life.

It gurgles and smiles. Their son had his fathers eyes of blue and his mothers hair of brown. The personality of both of them and the life no other child could ever imagine. A life with parents who loved more than they thought.

He danced his blue eyes down at the bundle and smiled. A genuine smile. Looking up to watch her again, his blue eyes captured hers and they smiled together. Mother and Father, child and guardian angel.

A guardian angel who knew those parents once in a life time. They were friends, until she had left. But she wasn't alone, with her somewhere was his best friend. Zac.

Tifa and Cloud, their child and _them. _


	2. His Seventh Heaven

_**A/N: **I have no idea why I'm writing a chapter two for this short little snippet but I know you all won't complain lol. So here it is, enjoy. _

His eyes followed her as she made her way around the bar. She was his definition of beauty. One glance of her would make his heart halt. She smiled more than he ever did. But when the rare occasion called for his smile, it was always for her.

There were a few customers, in groups here and there. The noise around them was mild and didn't awake the sleeping baby. He sat at the bar table with the bundle in his arms. A bundle he swore never to let go. It was warm, and cute, his child. Their child.

This heaven was equally his as it was hers.

His heaven was not quite what he expected. The first was great, but it was also painful. The second was the hardest, but the last, now that was his heaven.

_First, _was when he had met her, and fallen in love with her.

_Second, _was when he let her go and left to be a Soldier.

_Third, _was when he bumped into her again after all those years, but she didn't know it was him.

_Fourth, _was when he left, only to meet her again in Midgar.

_Fifth, _was when he defeated the same enemy like he did so many times and to give up running away.

_Sixth, _was when learnt to forgive himself, with the help from the closets to his heart.

_Seventh, _was his life right there in this very moment. He had finally learned how to love and cherish someone. To be the sun that shines her day and the moon that lit up the night. He would always be her light, and as well as her other half. She was the key, that unlocked his heart, and only she would understand him like no other could.

He would continue to love her and cherish her to the days coming. There wasn't another person that could make him feel love, like the way she did. She would be his eyes that help him see, through the darkest path of ways.

There were many other things that he'd want to be. The only thing he didn't want to be was a man of failure. He had succeeded himself and became a man he never knew he could be. He learned how to see what he never saw, that was love.

Right there, right now, he knew one thing. It was that he would always be the father.

A father to the bundle between them.


	3. Mornings

_**A/N: **I have no idea why I'm writing another chapter for this. It just seems cute this story. Different from my normal works. :) enjoy. _

Morning was never his favorite, then again neither was it hers. It was the time of day that seemed like a dreading thought. Although people always told her that morning air was the freshest, still she couldn't resist but to enjoy the dull smell of their room.

Having to wake up and walk down the steps and outside was too much of a hassle for just breathing fresh air. It seemed over rated. There was simply not a good enough reason to make her do such a thing. But then, there was one thing that she woke up for.

She woke up for Reiyh. The bundle that now sat in her arms, tightly wrapped up and quietly observing this large world before him. He saw the outstretched blue skies, as well as the passing old lady who glowed with smiles as he gurgled.

Together they sat there, mother and son staring at the passing morning.

"You like waking up early ey?" she patted a finger on his small nose.

He gurgled again and squirmed happily. She drew her finger back and tucked the blankets further down the side in order to keep him completely warm.

"You just wake up to annoy mummy huh?" she dipped her face down and pressed a soft kiss on his head.

There were small locks that were beginning to coil its way onto his head. She had expected it to be blonde from taking after his father. But she was wrong; his hair was brown, a bit lighter than hers, and darker than his fathers. It was a nice creamy chocolate mix.

She relaxed back against the wall, and stared out at the birds cheeping in the trees. Morning was not that bad. Once you got up and walked around, morning was actually quite peaceful and nice.

"Ga.." he gurgled in the spur of the moment type word.

She nodded with a smile and looked down at him, "Ga it is."

A warm touch on her shoulder made her smile. She knew who it was, even before the figure sat down beside her. It was a person who she had known, longer than anyone else. She knew this figure, like the back of her hand. Every detail and every fact there was to know. In all, she was his other half. The half that made him whole.

"Morning," he greeted and sat down beside her.

She turned to him, "Up so early?" she asked.

He smiled, and leaned forward to touch Reiyh's hand. The baby resulted in grasping this mans finger tight and gurgling even more.

"So happy to see daddy?" he asked happily with a wide beam on his face.

She smiled alongside him. "I'm happy too."

Two young parents, they sat together on the step with the bundle between them.

"Yeah," he nodded and pressed a soft kiss to her awaiting lips. "Me too."

"Cloud," it wasn't a question.

"I know you don't like mornings, but I know you don't mind if it's because of Reiyh," he answered anyways. "I just thought I'd spend this morning with you two," he added with a smile, "for a change."

She smiled and leaned closer to his warmness. He wrapped a hand around her shoulders, and together they smiled at Reiyh.

Morning still wasn't her favorite, but it would be an exception. It was an exception that she made only for the bundle in her arms.


	4. Rain

_**A/N: **Just a little note to say, this story's gonna keep going. It's kinda like Regrets and Contentment. Just little musings of the life of Cloud and Tifa, with their bundle between them. This new style of writing is my newest creation, I don't know, I'm just brainstorming different ways of writing. Lol, who ever knew i'd actually like to be an author one day. hahaha.. I wish. And also, thanks for the reviews so far :) _

It was his favorite weather of all time. The plonk and plunk of water droplets that traveled longer than any vehicle could from the sky to the ground they stood on. Although most ordinary people found it inhumane to even like such grey weather, to him it was simply relaxing. Each drop sent his world into dreams, where he dreamt about almost everything. Most of them were what already existed, but he never tired of dreaming, not of her, and not of the bundle.

The rain was calming, soothing to his mind. Each drop signified a certain symbol, a meaning that only he understood. The first one was peace, and the next love. He was never a man to love anything. But now days, it was what he lived for. It was what made sense.

It was Sunday, the day to relax and kick back. To ready himself for the week ahead.

His eyes didn't open, but he could hear and feel the shuffling around of sheets that sprawled above him and the warm body he held. She was always awake during this time, waiting quietly for that bundle to awake and cry for food. Finding the silence too quiet, he pressed multiple kisses at her temple of which he had his lips rested on. She responded with a twitch and a softened giggle.

A hand on his mouth caused him to stop and open his eyes. His blue eyes met hers and he smiled. A genuine smile that was rare for its kind and she felt privileged to be the only one who ever saw this rare smile. No one else would ever know of this smile that he had. It was a smile that was only meant for her and no one else. There was of course a modified smile for their bundle, but overall, this was his first ever meaningful smile that he vowed only to for her.

"I didn't know you were awake," she choked out in a small laugh as he took advantage in kissing her hand which held his mouth shut.

She giggled even more, but quietly as to not wake the sleeping bundle in the cot not too far away.

"Shhh…" she held his mouth tightly, and inched her lips away from his. "You'll wake Reiyh," she whispered.

She released her hand away after a moment.

"That's what I get for giving you a wonderful morning greeting?" he whispered slightly angry.

She smirked, and dipped in to press a soft kiss at his lips. He was always gentle, always soft in his touch. She remembered what Yuffie had told her the other day, _'A man can only be gentle, if he wants to be.' _

She dug her head further into his chest and let out a long sigh.

"Hmm.." he sighed, and traced lazy circles on her palm.

"I love you," she mumbled.

He chuckled softly, "I love you more.."

"Aww.." she pouted happily, "Really?"

"Hmm.. Maybe I-"

"Waaaa" both sets of eyes snatched up to the cot not too far away.

He raised his brows at her and rolled to a stand. He detangled his clothes which had ridden up in the night and then walked over to the crib.

"Hello, sleep well Rei?" he smiled as he bent down to retrieve the bundle.

The cries faded as his father's arms came around him. He was lifted up and hurled over is father's shoulders.

Cloud sat down on the bed again and laid the bundle between them. She looked up to him and smiled the same smile she gave him the day the bundle first saw this world.

A soft knock of the bundles hand against hers made her look down. "You just wanna be part of the conversation don't ya?" Tifa dipped her head down and pressed a soft kiss to Reiyh's head.

Rei gurgled happily and squealed around at his mothers touch.

Cloud watched her interact, multiple times that even he couldn't keep count. Almost each day there was at least one moment where he would spend watching her either interacting with Rei, or just watching her in general. It was in his list of favorite things to do. Then again, so was listening to the rain, but right now, the rain didn't matter as much as she did. Or rather, as much as the bundle right there.


	5. Many Things

Her lips curled into a smile as she glanced down at the bundle in her arms. There had been many things in her life, battles, friendships, hope. She never knew she'd end up here in this lifetime. But she was, and she owed it all to the two people who she never saw again. They were now guardian angels, to her beautiful bundle; the two angels who looked over him when she couldn't. She would give anything to have them back here with her again.

It was morning; well to be exact it was still night dark outside. Reiyh had decided to wake up early in this fine night, contemplating whether he was hungry or having the urge of someone carrying him.

It was rather cold outside, and so forth created cool air inside as well. The coldness ran up her spine, and caused her to tremble slightly. But the warmth beside her told her otherwise.

Cloud had insisted, in sitting with her and even now he still didn't sleep, but remain awake. She could see him from the side of her eye, he was watching her. It was one of his favourite things to do, given that it was sometimes creepy. But she knew he admired her for some reason, why, she would never know. The smile which she fought hard slowly grew onto her lips again.

"Tifa," he began and shifted closer. .

She turned to him, her brown eyes smiling.

"I don't mind staying up by myself," he motioned to Reiyh who had his small brown eyes wide open.

She smiled warmly and leaned closer to him, "No," she said softly, "I'd rather sit here with you and Reiyh, than sleep in an empty bed."

He sighed with a smile, "Well, Barret's coming pretty early tomorrow; I just don't want you to be tired."

"Nah.. I'll be okay," she replied.

Cloud had changed in the many years that had passed since the night they made that promise to each other. Then again so did she.

He had become a man who she never knew he could be. In many ways, he was someone knew. But the heart inside him, still remained the same and his eyes, they always saw through to her even after all these years. He learned how to love someone, how to cherish and to care, protect. He spoke his mind now, and hung his heart on his sleeve, rather than locking it up inside. In all, he had finally let go and got the ending he secretly wished for.

She too changed, in many ways than he did. She learnt how to challenge her emotions and to cast them aside when problems around her rose. It wasn't the easiest thing to do, when watching him run away those times. But her unique care free self, kept her together even until today. Learning how to cherish a person was what she had always known how to do, for she cherished him since she laid eyes on him. Of course, he didn't know, not up to now.

"You okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with curiosity to what she thought.

She let a smile linger upon her lips, "Just thinking.."

"About?" his brows tightened together.

She almost laughed, "You."

He rose his brows, "Me? What intrigues you so much about me?"

"Oh I don't know," she began, "Maybe the fact that you're the best thing that ever happened to me…"

He smiled and sighed quietly, "You know," he paused and looked down at Reiyh, "I couldn't say that you're the best thing for me," he said, taking the advantage of the silence to gauge her reaction.

When she didn't respond he continued, "Because you're more than just the best thing, Tifa," he ended it with another of his smiles.

She tilted her head to the side, "Really? How so?"

"Well you carried this lovely display around for nine months," he replied.

"Yeah well, it's not like I had a choice," she answered back.

His smile faded as he replied, "But you wanted too."

She smiled, and glanced back down at Reiyh again. "Only because.." she paused. "Because it was yours…ours."

There were many things in her life, and his too. But one thing she always knew was that she loved him, even when he didn't realize himself that he loved her too. There was more, than just a teenage love between them. There was motherhood, and fatherhood. They were now parents, young, though stronger than any other average couple. They one thing that remained the same, was the bundle between them.


	6. Dancing

_**A/N: **Hmm not many reviews for the previous chapter. But hey, I don't care. As long as I know there are some people reading, I'll continue writing. _

He loved dancing, the beat, and the swift movement as together they stride on the floor like it was water. It flowed, almost like a feather floating down the sky. Though this dance was different, it didn't much feel like a flow; but edgy and cornered. It must have to do with the fact that he danced with a young 10 year old.

"Cloud," she whined, "Dance properly. I gotta learn how to, so I can be like a princess.." she smiled.

The things he did for kids. It would always get to him. The fact that he could let down a 30 yr old male for forgetting to meet him at a pub, but not a 10 yr old child who begged him to teach her how to dance.

"What about Denzel?" he asked, still shifting around the room helplessly with the girl near his waist.

She rolled her eyes, and tossed her eyes over at Denzel who sat at the lounge chair watching. "He doesn't know how," she stuck her tongue out at him and then smiled again.

"I do too," Denzel stood up furiously and threw his fists to the side.

The dance paused, as they turned to the angry boy. You could almost see the blaze of fire erupting from his flesh as he eyed her angrily.

"I can so dance," he said confidently, "You just don't want to listen to me."

She rolled her eyes, and released her hold on the adult's hand. "How do you dance then?" she asked, taking a step closer.

Cloud watched the two arguing for what seemed like hours. He looked over at the poor boy who was lousily giving up in the argument. There was always something about Denzel when it came to Marlene. Denzel would never call her names, though she did to him all the time. He shouted back at her, and never won any arguments.

"..I'll teach both of you how to dance," Cloud spoke up suddenly.

The two threw their eyes over to the adult. Silence now filled the room.

"Together, I'll coach you two," he added nervous from their intense stare.

Marlene stared furiously for a moment, not letting her grounds down. Especially not to a boy. She must have learned that trade from Tifa. Eventually a small smile appeared on her lips and she nodded.

"Okay," she smiled, and took Denzel's hand.

"No arguing," he pointed a finger at two of them.

The two nodded.

"Okay, first.."

Life would never be the same again. Since the days he walked in and vowed never to leave, his life had become more than just life. It had become his world. A world which he lived in with pure adoration for those who surrounded him. They were much like each element of his world.

He was the land, Tifa was the water which covered most of him and made him whole, Denzel was the trees that swayed quietly, Marlene was much like the wind, with her piercing scream when the breeze was strong and then there was Reiyh, the new addition that was the rivers for he was part of Tifa.

This was their dance, their life. His world.


End file.
